GENEVA, Ala. (WTVY) – With the football season less than two weeks away, the Geneva Panthers are working to establish a new identity under first-year head coach Donnie Smith.
Geneva finished 1-9 last season after going 0-10 the year before. Smith, however, is not a new face in the community. He has served in the Geneva school system for more than a decade and is now leading a program focused on consistency, accountability and daily improvement.
“There’s two things I tell our kids all the time that coaches can’t coach: attitude and effort,” Smith said. “Throughout spring and our summer workout program, those two things have been great. Our kids have really bought into what we’re trying to get accomplished.”
Smith said the Panthers are working toward more than wins. He wants the team to build a stronger foundation through effort, character and trust in one another.
The program’s roster has grown, and Smith said the community has rallied around the team. His message to the Panthers has been to focus on small, consistent improvements.
For senior Braylon Soles, that work has created a different feeling around the program.
“From past teams, I would say our motivation and our effort and attitude — and everything else that could come with it as being a football team — our chemistry, all of that,” Soles said.
Smith said he has emphasized to players that the coaching staff cares about them as people, an approach that he believes has helped build buy-in during demanding summer conditioning and practices.
“It’s been really good for our community and our town,” Smith said. “We’ve seen our programs, all of our athletic programs, just really unify around each other.”
Smith is in his 32nd year of coaching. He said the biggest change he has seen so far is not limited to the field — it is also in the locker room.
With higher roster numbers has come more competition. Smith said players are learning to hold each other to a higher standard.
“I think the character of our team is our strong suit,” Smith said.
Soles has experienced the team’s recent struggles, but he said this group is ready to show a different side of Geneva football with more leadership, effort and grit.
“I’m just ready for the 21st. The guys are ready for the 21st,” Soles said. “At this point, it is what it is.”
Offensively, the Panthers want to establish the run, control the clock and use play-action opportunities when defenses commit to stopping the ground game.
Soles, a returning playmaker who has moved from receiver into the backfield, is expected to be part of that attack.
Defensively, Smith said his expectations are straightforward: get to the football, execute assignments and trust teammates to do the same.
“It’s been our focus, and we tell our kids every day, make today 5% better than yesterday,” Smith said.
The Panthers know a turnaround will not happen overnight, but they believe their preparation is giving them a new edge entering the season.
Geneva opens the 2026 season at home against the Geneva County Bulldogs on Aug. 21.
Geneva Panthers 2026 Football Schedule(WTVY)
GENEVA PANTHERS 2026 SCHEDULE
Friday, 8/21 | vs Geneva County
Friday, 8/28 | vs Florala
Friday, 9/4 | @ Daleville*
Friday, 9/11 | @ Beulah*
Friday, 9/18 | vs B.T. Washington*
Friday, 9/25 | @ Pike Liberal Arts
Friday, 10/2 | @ Wicksburg*
Friday, 10/9 | @ Pike County*
Friday, 10/16 | vs Bullock County* (HOMECOMING)
Friday, 10/23 | vs Slocomb*
Friday, 10/30 | OPEN
* – Denotes region game
Download the WTVY News4 app to get alerts and stories the moment they are published. Available for FREE in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store!
Copyright 2026 WTVY. All rights reserved.